For me, an impossible contradiction. I hate albums. Usually an excuse to make less than good music. "It's OK, not a hit, we'll put it on the album".

Yes there are exceptions. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac; virtually every track a hit. I call these "collections".
Theme albums - concepts - Dark Side of the Moon for example (I thought the single, Everyone's Gone to the Moon, said the same thing but shorter and better myself).
Classical albums - concertos, symphonies that revert to a hit "theme" often - usually climaxing in a thundering, huge orchestra version of the passage teased throughout the work (Tchaikovsky was superb at this).

But Radio Two did their Albums run down over the Easter holiday; and the winner is... Coldplay.

Their listeners' favourite.

No, excuse me, the favourite of the very few listeners prepared to make a phone call or go online to vote for their favourite.

i.e. mad peoples' favourite.

Irrelevent, but who cares? It did at least give an excuse for Radio 2 to play some great music. In fact, I thought the choice of track off each album was rather good. (I only listened to the last couple of hours though).

If you have airtime over the Bank Holiday, and you want to do something other than the usual daytime show, this is as good an idea as any.

There must be a gene that makes you appreciate Coldplay and I definitely haven't got it.
Despite having an attic full of them I hardly ever play an album. I just plonk the needle on the track that was the single.
I have only ever worn out three LPs. Hunky Dory, Brain Salad Surgery and something by Jonathan Richman. Nothing since 1981.

Yes it is an excuse but hang on; Radio Two is meant to be playing music all day and night (almost).

I always hated those silly BBC shows 50 years ago that featured "tracks with titles beginning with..." and other silly lists or reasons. Just play fucking great music I used to shout at my radio (in the days before it became interactive).

The only "list" idea that worked for me was "women in music" - a large enough excuse to play some terrific obscure stars (and some superb old or dead singers like Nina Simone in an era that never played them).

Jeff Smith's comment at the end of the Guardian piece about this is the most bland, meaningless, auto cue Zombie photocopy remark I've ever heard. Make the man PM immediately.

Too true. But you have to fill a day with music whilst the creative producer is having a weekend off (or was it 5 years off), so instead of somebody choosing some great music by looking what is available, get your listeners to choose their favourite albums and pick a track off each. On this occasion, it actually made interesting listening - despite the fact that it wouldn't have been my list.

JK2006 wrote:
Dark Side of the Moon for example (I thought the single, Everyone's Gone to the Moon, said the same thing but shorter and better myself).

Priceless - Almost choked on my coffee when reading that comment.

Revolver by The Beatles.